Now the Neanderthal epigenome – the system of on/off switches that modify gene activity – has been deciphered (see “First look into workings of the Neanderthal brain“), allowing us to directly assess the mental life of our extinct cousins for the first time.

This work is just beginning. Whether it clears the Neanderthal name remains to be seen.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Extinct cousins out of rehab”